It's Tough Out There for a Middle-Class New Yorker
Income levels that would enable a very comfortable lifestyle in other locales barely suffice to provide the basics in New York City, says the the Center for an Urban Future in a new report that merely provides data to back up what all city residents already new. The group estimates that the same quality of…
Income levels that would enable a very comfortable lifestyle in other locales barely suffice to provide the basics in New York City, says the the Center for an Urban Future in a new report that merely provides data to back up what all city residents already new. The group estimates that the same quality of life that costs $50,000 a year in Houston will run you $123,322 in the Big Apple; San Francisco is a distant second at $95,489 with LA at $80,583 and Philadelphia at $69,196. In addition, many New Yorkers put up with commutes that double the national average of 25 minutes. One Brooklyn Bridge Park even gets an unnamed reference: “If it wasn’t already clear that the cost of living in New York City is greatly out-of-whack with the rest of the country, it certainly became apparent in early 2008 when a new condo development in Brooklyn Heights began selling individual parking spaces—not apartments, parking spaces—for as much as $280,000.” So it’s no surprise that the report finds that many people have been giving up on New York. In fact, twice as many people with bachelor’s degrees left New York in 2005-2006 than in the prior two-year period. So what’s to do: Among other recommendations, the report suggests diversifying the economy, focus on basic infrastructure and quality of life issues rather than building flashy new projects and increase housing stock that is affordable to the middle class.
Celebrities are part of the problem, not the solution, 11217.
Snark, for you to post that link and insinuate that I am a ‘strumpet’, you must need to make up for the size of your ‘ego’!
😉
What 11217 said about the subways.
Anyone who doesn’t know David Sedaris is required by me to go out and get his first book and read his first and most famous essay, about working as a elf at Macy’s.
Also, Rob, they’re just cranky. That’s why they’re funny. Amy Sedaris is hardly hifaultin’. She was a waitress at Mary’s Fish Camp. And Montrose, Amy also wrote a kind of sick tongue-in-cheek coffee table book about “entertaining,” with recommendations for such as how to re-use nylon stockings.
(Speaking of which, have you seen pages 68-69 of the Feb. World of Interiors? Cute mix of curry damask and striped blue bed ticking on English antiques.)
All this exercise proves is that America is full of sprawl.
11217, I’d stop while you’re ahead!
I didn’t realize talking about my chance meeting with Amy Sedaris would cause so many comments.
I think she’s hilarious. Off camera and on. Her portayal of Jerri Blank in “Strangers with Candy” is comedy genius, in my opinion. It’s not for everyone though…it’s pretty dirty humor. It also stars Stephen Colbert. Check it out if you like really dirty, dry humor.
David Sedaris…eh…he’s ok. Not my absolute favorite.
I certainly didn’t mean to imply that Amy Sedaris is the be all, end all of popular culture. I’ve had so many crazy experiences of running into celebs in the city, and I knew if I said some of the other more well known ones I’d be called out even more than I usually am for being too pretentious.
Snark, I LOVE Flame Warriors! What a brilliant site. Everyone here is there, most people are a combination of at least two. I’ll be entertained for days. Will listen to Santaland Diaries later today. Thanks!
I will read watch listen to anything that either David or Amy put out. I think they are both beyond hysterical.
One of my favorite David Sedaris readings is 6-8 Black Men.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCUHTDrca4s
> “I think you are more so!”
– http://redwing.hutman.net/~mreed/warriorshtm/strumpet.htm
That New Yorker quote is when Sedaris jumped the shark for me.
New York just has this vibe where it’s like, “Let’s randomly pick a place and just decide it’s the best place of all, no matter what.” I contemplate moving every so often and I am nowhere near the middle class designation, but there’s just too much life going on here. I can understand Updike’s point when he moved away because of all the distractions, but my life really took off in incredible ways ever since I’ve been here and I just can’t picture that happening in Houston.